What is I-O?

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the scientific
study of the workplace. Rigor and methods of psychology are
applied to issues of critical relevance to business,
including talent management, coaching, assessment,
selection, training, organizational development,
performance, and work-life balance.

INGRoup values and promotes diversity in theoretical and methodological perspectives for examining and understanding group processes and outcomes. This award recognizes scholarly contributions to the understanding and improvement of team performance and is awarded to an individual or research team whose work has shown an enduring commitment to advancing the interdisciplinary science of team or small group behavior, dynamics, and outcomes.

The award recipient(s) are granted a lifetime membership to INGRoup, are recognized at the INGRoup conferences, and receive a commemorative plaque. In addition, the recipient is invited to give an address that relates to his, her, or their contributions at the subsequent meeting of INGRoup.

This year’s selection committee highlighted four ways in which Salas’ research is noteworthy. First, there is the sheer number of Salas’ coauthored journal articles and edited books, the committee noted. Second, the quality of his contributions is exceptional as judged by the number of citations his scholarship has produced. Third, Salas’ scholarly contributions have been made across a number of disciplines including psychology, management, medicine, aviation, human factors, human computer studies, and training and development. Fourth, his scholarship has been the basis of practical applications in the military and numerous industries.

“Dr. Salas’ research represents the kind of balanced scholarship — theory, research, and application impact — that others should emulate,” described one of Salas’ supporting nomination letter writers.

Others who supported Salas’ nomination commented on the momentum he has built—“momentum that changes the conversation, gets people to think and act in different ways, and to push themselves and others around them to improve.”

“(Salas’) ability to inspire and collaborate is profound,” commented another supporter.

Nominations for the McGrath Award were accepted this spring and included a letter of nomination that outlined the contributions made by the nominee(s) to knowledge about groups and teams, a current vita of the nominee(s), a small set of materials that illustrate the contributions of the nominee(s), and supporting letters. The letters of nomination addressed the general nature of the nominee’s contributions to the study of teams or small groups, their most important theoretical and/or empirical contributions, the impact of the nominee’s contributions on the scholarly study of teams or small groups including the impact that his or her body of work has had on the work of students and colleagues, and the impact that the work has had across the various disciplines studying teams or small groups.